Orchestra delivers solid musical mix

By Joseph Dalton

Published 5:13 pm, Friday, August 21, 2015

Saratoga Springs

A refreshing breeze blew through the SPAC auditorium on Thursday evening.

For the second night of Yannick Nézet-Séguin's week of concerts, the Philadelphia Orchestra repeated an unusual programming idea from its season back home. Instead of the typical overture and concerto lineup, the evening's first half showcased selected members of the orchestra, along with a few guests, in material drawn from world music traditions.

First came a relatively exotic excerpt from Saint-Saen's "Samson and Delilah" for full orchestra. Then a quartet of erhu, clarinet, cello and percussion played arrangements by cellist Ohad Bar-David. That was followed by a grouping of 10 musicians in material arranged by violinist Jason DePue.

The succession of sounds from the Middle East, Asia and the Appalachian Mountains, plus some Ravel for good measure, made for a diverting relief from the steady diet of masterpieces. Of the guest players, Jiebing Chen on the Chinese ehru was the most dramatic standout, since the banjo and guitar in the second grouping stayed rather polite and muted.

The orchestra reassembled for Ravel's "Mother Goose" Suite, but with a new approach. Nézet-Séguin and Wu Han performed the second and fourth movements at the piano. Whether owing to the varied textures, or to the conductor's expressed fondness for the piece, it was pure magic.

Back to business as usual after intermission, with Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, which appears on SPAC programs almost as regularly as "Bolero." In his remarks Nézet-Séguin strained to suggest some links between the concert's two halves. He needn't have bothered. It was enough that this would be his Tchaikovsky Fifth.

Recalling the piece under Charles Dutoit's leadership, the orchestra sounded like a team — strong, capable and in pursuit of a goal. Under Nézet-Séguin, they became an ensemble, more blended and eloquent, also restrained and sensuous.